KateOr maybe I should title this post:
“FIGURING OUT WHAT TO EAT WHEN YOU DON’T WANT TO GO GROCERY SHOPPING”
I went to make lunch for the fam the other day all the while wondering “Oh no. What am I going to make? I don’t know if I have anything!”
You know what I found? When I opened the pantry, I realized it was totally stuffed with food! Full! As in, I probably can’t fit much more in there without something falling back out. Our freezer and fridge are both at this same ridiculous level of stuffiness.
The whole “having a ton of food but no idea how to use it” dilemma happens when you frequently hit up the grocery store with no plan, no list, and no patience. With no plan, you just frantically grab things off the shelf and hope you’ll be able to make something out of it later. That kind of shopping doesn’t work so well. And in my case? It never works. I know from experience that I need an actual meal plan or else stuff sits in the pantry and vegetables rot in the crisper drawer. But I also know I need to force myself to get creative and use up the surplus I’ve accumulated by being unorganized.
So I decided a “7 Day Shop The Pantry” Challenge would help me. It’s kind of like a No Spend Week but focused on meals. Instead of making another mad dash to the store for more groceries, you make meals entirely from what you already have in the house. You use what you have, prevent wasted food, and save money.
Starting the Challenge
I’ve never done this kind of challenge before (and I’m no gourmet chef) so I’m a little nervous!
We are still going to purchase essentials like milk, eggs, and the must-have snacks for our kids. I want to use up food….not experience a full-on mutiny orchestrated by hungry little pirates. I also grow some veggie staples in our Kitchen Garden (read why I love veggie gardening here) so I’ll be using anything harvested from there.
I am also armed with my new handy-dandy Meal Plan and Shopping List printables to keep me organized (grab your own free copy here!).
So what do you say? Want to start the challenge with me? What are some of your favorite meal ideas for those days you can’t make it to the store?
Check out our other 7 Day Shop the Pantry Challenge Posts here: